Container handle



Dec. 2, 1969 rr ET AL CONTAINER HANDLE Filed March 14. 1968 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 2, 1-969 1.. D. LEITER ET AL CONTAINER HANDLE 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1968 Dec. 2, 1969' L. D. LEILI'ERIET ALCONTAI-NER HANDLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 14, 1968 United StatesPatent O Int. Cl. B65d 23/10 US. 'Cl. 229-52 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A handle to assist in carrying, moving and pouring frompaperboard containers, in which the handle is constructed from a unitaryloop of thermoplastic material having a plurality of co-planar sides ofinverted T-shaped cross section in which the cross bar of the T formsthe interior of the loop, one of said sides forming the hand grip ofsaid handle, two other sides respectively attached to the two ends ofthe hand grip side, and two inwardly sloping sides, each of which isattached at one end to a respective one of the vertical sides at aselected acute angle, and each of which terminates at the other end inan element of a closure mechanism, one of said elements being shaped toresemble a cone with a rounded apex.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is acontinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 521,362 filed Jan. 18, 1966, nowabandoned, and Ser. No. 565,045 filed July 6, 1966, now Patent No.3,373,924.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the marketing and distribution of certainproducts in containers, it is often desirable for reasons of economy andconvenience to package the product in a relatively large container. Oneexample is the packaging of fresh milk, which it is more economical topackage in halfgallon and gallon containers than in smaller one quartcontainers. However, in the case of relatively heavy products such asfresh milk, it is somewhat awkward for the eventual consumer to carryand pour from a large container of the half-gallon or gallon size,especially paperboard containers having smooth surfaces coated with waxor plastic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention there is provided aninexpensive handle device of unique construction to assist in carrying,moving and pouring from paperboard containers, particularly relativelylarge paperboard containers of the gable top variety in which one end ofthe gable top serves as a pouring spout. The handle device of thisinvention is constructed from a single, unfastened loop of thermoplasticmaterial, the ends of the loop being designed to be locked securely toeach other and to a container by means of the male and female members ofa selected closure mechanism. The handle is afiixed to a gable topcontainer by inserting the male member of the closure mechanism througha pre-punched hole in the gable ridge of the container and lockingtogether the male and female members to form a closed loop extendingthrough the gable ridge. In its closed loop position, the handle may bepivoted about its point of attachment to the gable ridge so that thehandle extends above the gable ridge by a suificient distance to providea comfortable hand grip to carry, move or pour from the container. Whennot in use, the handle may be folded down 3,481,528 Patented Dec. 2,1969 out of the way by pivoting the handle about its point of attachmentto the gable ridge so that the inside of the handle loop passes overthat end of the gable top which is opposite to the pouring spout end.

One of the unique features of the handle of this invention is that, inits unfastened condition, the ends of sloping sides bearing elements ofthe closure mechanism are urged into contact with one another. Becauseof this unique feature, in those embodiments of the present invention inwhich the sloping sides respectively terminate in male and femalemembers of the closure mechanism, the male and female elements have atendency to close together firmly but without locking. This self-closingtendency prevents unwanted interlocking of different handles when largequantities of handles are mixed together, for example, during shipmentor during the attachment of handles to containers.

The unique self-closing tendency of the handle of this invention isobtained by constructing the handle in the following manner. A suitablethermoplastic material is molded or formed at an elevated temperatureinto a unitary open loop having a cross-section in the form of aninverted T, and a plurality of co-planar sides, for example, five sides.One of the sides serves as a horizontal hand grip, two vertical sidesrespectively join each end of the horizontal side at first selectedcorner angles that are substantially right angles, and two sloping sidesrespectively join the other ends of the vertical sides at secondselected corner angles. The unattached ends of the two sloping sideswhich also constitute the ends of the open loop, are molded so as toterminate in the elements of a closure mechanism, and these elements areseparated from one another while the handle is being molded at anelevated temperature. By making the sloping sides of the loopsufliciently long, and by appropriately choosing the corner angles atwhich the sloping sides join the vertical sides, the ends of the slopingsides bearing the closure elements are urged into contact with oneanother by properly cooling the formed loop of thermoplastic material sothat the sides of the loop are caused to bow or warp concavely relativeto the interior of the loop, and all of the corner angles between thesides of the loop tend to become more acute. Proper cooling in thisinstance means cooling the loop essentially free from externalrestraint, so that as the loop cools, the sides of the loop are free tobow or warp, and the corner angles are free to close in, to bringtogether in nonlocking contact the closure elements at the ends of theloop.

This unique. self-closing tendency of the handle device of the presentinvention, while in its unfastened state, is further enhanced by shapingthe male member of the closure mechanism to resemble a cone with arounded tip or apex. This shape assures that on cooling of the handle,the resulting urging together of the ends of the sloping sides willcause the male member partially to seat itself within the female member,without locking, despite minor production variations resulting in slightmisalignment of the male and female members or slight out-of-planewarpage of the sides.

Those skilled in the art will immediately recognize from the followingdescription and appended drawings that handles embodying the principlesof the present invention may be applied with advantage to various typesof containers other than gable top containers. However, since it isanticipated that the invention will find most immediate utility in gabletop containers, the invention will be described in terms of itsapplication thereto. The description is intended for illustrativepurposes only and in no manner to limit the invention.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of illustrativeembodiments thereof taken in connection with the appended drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the handle of this inventionsecured to a gable top container;

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating, by way of dashed lines, the handleof this invention as it appears in its open condition at an elevatedtemperature prior to cooling, and illustrating, by way of solid lines,the handle of this invention in its partially closed but unfastenedcondition after cooling, and its self-closing feature;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the inverted T-shapedcross-section of the handle of this invention;

FIG. 4A is an enlarged side elevation view of the shape of the malemember of a closure mechanism of the handle of this invention;

FIGS. 4B and 4C are enlarged side and front elevation views,respectively, of the female member complementary to the male membershown in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4D is an enlarged view, partially in section, of the elements ofthe closure mechanism of FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C after the handle of thisinvention has been secured to the gable ridge of a gable-top container;

FIG. 5, which is included on the sheet of drawings having FIGS. 8A, 8B,9A and 9B, is an enlarged view, partially in section, of a preferredclosure mechanism for the handle of this invention after it has beenattached to the gable ridge of a gable top container;

FIG. 6, which is included on the sheet of drawings having FIGS. 4Athrough 4D and 7, is an enlarged side elevation view, partially insection, of a handle with male and female closure elements of the kindshown in FIG. 5, illustrating two kinds of mechanical interlocks forsecuring the handle of this inventiton to the gable ridge of a gable topcontainer;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevation view, partially in section, ofstill another closure mechanism for the handle of this invention,illustrating the handle after it has been secured to the gable ridge ofa gable top container;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are enlarged side elevation views, partially in section,of the ends of the handle of this invention, respectively showing anadditional closure mechanism before and after the handle has beensecured to the gable ridge of a gable top container; and

FIGS. 9A and 9B are enlarged side elevation views, partially in section,of a rivet closure mechanism for locking together the ends of the handleof this invention, respectively showing the handle before and after ithas been secured to the gable ridge of a gable top container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,wherein like reference characters designate like elements throughout theseveral views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a perspective view of the handledevice 10 of this invention affixed to a gable top container 1. Gabletop container 1, which is of well known construction, customarilyterminates at the upper end of its body in a gable top end closure whichis surmounted by a longitudinal central rib or gable ridge 2. The handledevice 10 of this invention, which has a plurality of coplanar sides, issecured to gable ridge 2 of container 1 by means of a closure mechanismdescribed in detail below. The closure mechanism, which is preferablyintegral with handle 10, attaches handle 10 to gable ridge 2 by way of aprepunched hole (not shown) formed at an appropriate point in gableridge 2, and in its fastened condition, and after attachment to gableridge 2, handle 10 pivots about this point of attachment. It is to beunderstood that the prepunched hole must be located in gable ridge 2 ata point such that the integrity of the container and its pouring spoutis not impaired. Also, for convenience in handling the container, thepre-punched hole. is located off center so that the handle is closer tothe side of the container opposite to the pouring spout. In this manner,it is easier to use the handle to tilt the container for pouring, and tocarry two containers back-to-back with one hand. In addition, handle 10may be folded down out of the way when not in use by pivoting the handleabout its point of attachment to the gable ridge so that the inside ofthe handle passes over that end of the gable ridge which is opposite tothe pouring spout.

In this upright position, handle 10 lies in a plane substantially normalto gable ridge 2. It is desirable to make horizontal member 55 of handle10 sufiiciently wide to provide a comfortable grip for a full humanhand, and to space horizontal member 55 of handle 10 above gable ridge 2by a suflicient distance so that the knuckles of a users hand do not rubthe upper edge of gable ridge 2.

A preferred shape for handle 10 may be more readily perceived byreference to FIG. 2, in which it is observed that handle 10 has afive-sided or pentagonal loop shape, in which the five sides of the looplie in the same plane. A substantially horizontal hand grip side ormember 55 is joined at its extremities by two perpendicular sides 53 and54, and perpendicular sides 53 and 54 are respectively joined in turn totwo inwardly sloping sides 51 and 52 to complete the loop. It is to benoted at this point that handle 10 is desirably constructed as a unitaryloop unfastened at its ends, which is pre-shaped to have the fivesidedco-planar structure described herein. The sloping sides 51 and 52respectively terminate in tab members and 120, each of which is providedwith an element of a selected closure mechanism by means of which theloop is converted from its open loop unfastened condition to its closedloop fastened condition, for example, by afiixing the handle to thegable ridge of a gable top container.

In a preferred embodiment of the handle of this invention, tabs 110 and120 are respectively provided with the male and female members of aclosure mechanism. One suitable closure mechanism is the snap orinterference fit variety shown in FIG. 4A, in which the male member 11comprises three principal structural elements, a coneshaped stud 111, afirst cylinder shaped extension element 115, and a second cylindershaped support element 114. The diameter of the circular cross-sectionof support element 114 and the diameter of the circular base of studelement 111 are approximately equal, and the diameter of the circularcross-section of extension element is smaller than the above diameter ofelements 114 and 111. All three elements have a common central axiswhich is perpendicular to the inner surface of tab 110, and the threeelements are positioned upon tab 110 to extend the apex or smaller endof stud 111 toward the complementary female member provided in tab shownin FIGS. 4B and 40. As shown in FIG. 4D, element 114 supports the handlethrough the opening in gable ridge 2, while element 115 extends into thefemale member in tab 120.

The complementary female member 12 for male member 11 is shown in FIGS.4B and 4C, in which it is ob served that opposing tab 120 is providedwith a cylindrical opening 122 extending through tab 120 and having itscentral axis aligned with the central axis of male member 11. Also,cylindrical Opening 122 is provided with an annular recess 123 on theopposite side of tab 120, the inner side wall of annular recess 123being tapered to receive the tapered bottom edge 113 of stud 111 whenthe male and female members are locked together as shown in FIG. 4D. Thediameter of opening 122 is approximately equal to the diameter ofextension element 115, while the diameter of recess 123 is approximatelyequal to the diameter of the base of stud 111.

The manner in which male member 11 and female member 12 are lockedtogether through a gable ridge to fasten handle 10 to a container andthereby form a closed loop handle is illustrated in FIG. 4D. Thelaminated plies of paperboard or other material forming the gable ridgeare denoted by the reference numeral 2, the diameter of the pre-punchedhole in the gable ridge being dimensioned to accommodate the cylindershaped support element 114 of male member 11. In one exemplary procedurefor locking together the male and female members, the male member 11 isfirst inserted through the pre-punched hole in gable ridge 2, afterwhich the female member 12 is snapped or pressed over stud 111 so thatthe male member 11 is locked in snap or interference fit relationshipwith female member 12, the bottom edge 113 of the base of stud 111 beingseated within annular recess 123. Because the diameter of the base ofstud 111 is larger than the diameter of opening 122, once stud 111 hasbeen forced completely through opening 122, stud 111 tends to remainlocked in place with its base resting against annular recess 123.

A preferred shape for the male or stud element is illustrated in FIG. 5,in which stud element 711 is shaped to resemble a cone with a roundedtip or apex rather than a truncated tip. This shape, as described indetail below, enhances the unique self-closing tendency of the handle ofthis inevntion. Also, if desired, the bottom edge 712 of stud member 711may be terminated in a shortright cylindrical bottom portion without atapered edge. Correspondingly, the side wall of annular recess 723 infemale member 12 joins opening 122 at right angles in order to receivethe right cylindrical bottom portion of stud member 711.

The details of the closure mechanism may be modified in various wayswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus inFIG. 7 there is shown a hemisphere shaped stud element 611 as analternative to the truncated cone shaped stud 111 shown in FIG. 4A. Analternative closure mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, inwhich the male member 81 comprises a cone shaped stud element 811attached to tab 110 by means of a single cylinder shaped support andextension element 82, elements 811 and 82 having a common central axis.The female member in tab 120 comprises a circular opening 83 having adiameter approximately equal to the diameter of the circular crosssection of extension element 82. A locking relationship is establishedbetween the male and female members by a so-called heading technique toform a closed loop hand-1e having the locking structure shown in FIG.8B. The male member 81 is inserted through a pre-punched hole in gableridge 2 and into the opening 83 of tab 120 so that the inner surfaces oftabs 110 and 120 are pressed against opposite sides of gable ridge 2 andstud element 811 is extended beyond the outer surface of tab 120. Thestud element 811 is then controllably deformed to form a locking cap 84that abuts the outer surface of tab 120 and thereby locks together themale and female members in a single closed loop handle.

The controlled deformation of stud 811 into locking cap-84 may employeither cold heading or warm heading techniques. In cold heading,deformation is accomplished by forcing a suitably shaped, unheated dieor forming pin against stud 811 so that deformation is accomplished bypressure along, whereas in warm heading the die or forming pin ispreheated to a temperature within the range of about 150 to 200 F. sothat deformation is accomplished by a combination of temperature andpressure.

Another closure mechanism is shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, in which thefemale member comprises identical cylinder shaped openings 910 and 920in tabs 110 and 120, with openings 910 and 920 having a common centralaxis. The male member comprises a separate rivet 9 with a preformedhemispherical head 91 and a cylinder shaped support 93 of approximatelythe same diameter as openings 910 and 920. As illustrated in FIG. 9B,support 93 is inserted through openings 910 and 920, which arepositioned in alignment with a pre-punched hole in gable ridge 2, sothat the end of support 93 extends beyond tab 110. The thus extended endof support 93 is then controllably deformed to form a locking cap 94 inmuch the same way as locking cap 84 is formed in the apparatus shown inFIG. 8B.

In the closure mechanisms described above, the male and female elementsof the selected closure mechanism are joined together by a singlemechanical interlock, either a snap or interference fit interlock or aheading interlock. If desired, however, the handle of this invention maybe affixed with greater security to the gable ridge of a container byjoining together the male and female elements of a closure mechanismwith a double mechanical interlock which combines both the snap fit andthe heading arrangements previously described.

A double mechanical interlock is illustrated in FIG. 6, in which ahandle 'with male and female elements of the type shown in FIG. 5 isshown after it has been afiixed to a gable ridge 2; however, it is to beunderstood that the combined snap fit and heading interlocks may beapplied to handles with male and female elements of otherconfigurations. Referring again to FIG. 5, conical stud 711 extendingfrom tab member 110 is inserted through a preformed hole in gable ridge2, and female element 12 integral with tab element 120 is snapped orpressed over stud 711 so that stud 11 is forced through opening 122 tolock in snap fit relationship with female member 12 in the same manneras previously described in connection with the ararngement shown in FIG.4D. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, that portion of conical stud 711which projects through the other side of tab 120 is controllablydeformed by either warm or cold heading to form a locking cap 74. Thus,in addition to the interlock formed by seating the cylindrical baseelement 712 of stud 711 against the bottom of annular recess 723, asecond interlock is formed by seating the base of locking cap 74 againstthe outer surface of tab member 120, thereby to close together the endsof the handle by two sets of mechanical interlocks. It is to berecognized, of course, that the stud element 111 of the embodiment shownin FIG. 4D, may be controllably deformed in a manner similar to thatshown in FIG. 6.

Turning back to FIGS. 2 and 3, handle 10 is preferably constructed froma thermoplastic material, such as high density polyethylene, to have theinverted T-shaped cross-section shown in FIG. 3. As shown by the dashedlines in FIG. 2, handle 10 is molded or formed from such a material atan elevated temperature, the dashed lines indicating both the outline ofthe mold cavity and the shape of the handle before it is removed fromthe mold. It is noted that the handle is molded in an open condition,that is, in the open condition of handle 10, tab members and are spreadapart so that the closure mechanism elements are separated from oneanother. Also, in the open condition" of handle 10, the corner anglesand 0' at which sides 53 and 54 respectively join side 55 aresubstantially right angles, while the corner angles a and b at whichsides 53 and 54 respectively join sides 51 and 52 are obtuse angles.

By removing handle 10 from the mold While still quite hot, the sides ofhandle 10 will tend to bow concavely relative to the interior of thehandle and all of the corner angles of the handle 10 will tend to becomemore acute as the handle cools free from the restraint of the mold,thereby bringing the tab members 110 and 120 closer together and urgingthe closure elements into partially closed contact with one another. Thebowing action is illustrated in FIG. 2 by a comparison between thedashed lines indicating the profile of handle 10 when it is in the moldand still hot, and the solid lines indcating the profile of handle 10after the handle has cooled outside of the mold. The decrease in all ofthe corner angles is illustrated by comparing the four corner angles 0,a and b, before cooling of the handle and while still in the mold, withthe corresponding corner angles 0, a and b after the handle has cooledfree of restraint. It is observed that corner angles p and are changedfrom substantially right angles to angles which are close to but lessthan right angles, for example, on the order of 86, and that cornerangles a and b are made less obtuse.

The desired bowing action and decreasing of corner angles can beaccomplished by cooling handle 10 by one of several quenching systems inwhich the handle is essentially free of restraint. For example, handle10 may be cooled outside of the mold either in air or in water, waterbeing preferable for quantity production in order to avoid undesiredcontact with other handles or objects which may impede or distort thebowing action and closing in of corner angles, and to provide bettercontrol over temperature during the cooling period. It is to beunderstood, of course, that other quenching mediums may be employed ifdesired.

The exact thermo-mechanical mechanism that produces bowing of the sidesand closing in of the corners of the handle is not completelyunderstood, therefore the following explanation of the bowing phenomenonis to be considered tentative. Referring to FIG. 3, it is believed thatthe interior line of intersection (shown as a point 35 in FIG. 3)between the vertical portion 31 of the T and the horizontal portion 32of the T remains hot longest, because at the inside corners 33 of thisintersection, due to a relatively low ratio of the volume of cool moldmaterial to the volume of hot handle material, there is a relatively lowheat transfer capacity in the mold at corners 33. In contrast, theextremities 34 of the T cool quite readily because of the relativelyhigh ratio of the volume of cool mold material to the volume of hothandle material, which creates a relatively high heat transfer capacityin the mold at these extremities. Falling somewhere between the interiorline of intersection 35 and the extremities 34, in terms of coolingrate, are the flanks 36 of the handle.

The dashed lines shown inside handle 10 in FIG. 3 illustrateapproximately and solely for explanatory purposes the pattern ofisothermal lines that is thought to exist inside a handle ofthermoplastic material having the inverted T-shaped cross-section shownin FIG. 3. This suggested pattern of isothermal lines indicates that thecooling of the interior of the handle is not uniform, as describedabove, and this non-uniform cooling is believed to be responsible forthe bowing of the sides and the closing in of the corners that occurswhen the handle is allowed to cool essentially free of restraints.

The self-closing tendency of the handle of this invention is also afunction of the lengths of sloping sides 51 and 52, and the cornerangles a and b at which sloping sides 51 and 52 respectively joinvertical sides 53 and 54. By appropriate choice of these lengths andcorner angles, and by constructing handle 10 of thermoplastic materialwith a cross-section in the form of an inverted T so that the sides ofthe handle will bow and the corners will close in on cooling, tabmembers 110 and 120 are urged toward each other. In those embodiments inwhich tabs 110 and 120 terminate in the male and female members of aclosure mechanism, it being preferable that such male and female membersbe integral with the tabs, the male and female members of an unfastenedhandle have a tendency to close but not lock together. This self-closingtendency is enhanced in the preferred embodiment described above inwhich the male member of the closure mechanism has a conical shape witha rounded tip or apex as shown in FIG. 5, so that the tip or apex of thecone is urged to extend within opening 122 of tab 120 as the handlecools, despite production variations such as slight misalignment of themale and female elements or slight out-of-plane warpage of the sides ofthe handle.

By virtue of this self-closing tendency, handle 10 may be employed withautomatic machinery designed to feed and sort parts in large quantities,with relatively small likelihood of interfering with automatic operationwhich might result from random linking between open handles.

The terms and expressions that have been employed herein are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention inthe use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalents of thefeatures shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognizedthat various modifications are possible within the scope of theinvention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus which comprises a gable top container having a body whichterminates at its upper end in a gabie top closure surmounted by alongitudinal gable ridge, wherein said gable ridge is provided with apre-punched hole of selected diameter at a predetermined point,

and a unitary loop of thermoplastic material having a plurality ofco-planar sides of inverted T-shaped cross-section in which thecross-bar of the T forms the interior of said loop, one of said sidesterminating in the male element of a selected snap fit closure mechanismand another one of said sides terminating in the female element of saidselected snap fit closure mechanism, wherein said male element isproportioned to pass through said pre-punched hole in said gable ridgeto snap into locking relationship with said female element thereby toafiix said loop of material to said container, and wherein at least oneof said sides is spaced a predetermined distance above said gable ridgeto provide a hand grip for manipulating said container.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said loop is characterized byfive sides in which each side is provided with two extremities.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein a first one of saidfive sidesis substantially horizontal and of sufficient length to provide saidhand grip.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein second and third ones of saidfive sides are each respectively joined at one of their extremities to acorresponding one of the extremities of said first side to form a firstpair of selected corner angles between said second and first sides andbetween said third and first sides, wherein fourth and fifth ones ofsaid five sides are each respectively joined at one of their extremitiesto a corresponding one of the extremities of said second and third sidesto form a second pair of selected corner angles between said second andfourth sides and between said third and fifth sides, wherein said secondand third sides are of substantially equal length, and wherein saidfourth and fifth sides are of substantially equal length.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said other extremities ofsaid fourth and fifth sides terminate in said male and female elementsof said snap fit closure mechanism.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said male element is shapedto resemble a cone having a rounded tip or apex which projects towardsaid female element in a direction substantially parallel to said firstside of said loop.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said female element comprisesa substantially circular opening of selected diameter which is providedwith an annular recess of larger diameter adapted to serve as a lockingseat for said male element.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said male element comprises ahemispherically shaped stud with the hemispherical surface of said studprojecting toward said female element in a direction substantiallyparallel with said first side of said loop.

9. A handle to be fastened to a container to assist in manipulating saidcontainer, which comprises a five sided unitary loop of thermoplasticmaterial in which each of said five sides has an inverted T- shapedcross-section, and in which said loop is probut partially closed contactwith one another in the vided with two extremities which are innonlocking 9 unfastened condition of said loop, and which are joinedtogether in locking contact with one another through a pre-punched holein said container in the fastened condition of said loop,

a first substantially horizontal side adapted to accommodate the humanhand,

second and third sides each respectively joined at one of theirextremities at first selected corner angles that are almost but lessthan a right angle to a corresponding one of the extremities of saidfirst side, and

fourth and fifth sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat second selected corner angles to the other corresponding extremitiesof said second and third sides, wherein the other extremities of saidfourth and fifth sides terminate in opposing tabs respectively providedwith male and female elements of a selected snap fit closure mechanism,and wherein both the lengths of said fourth and fifth sides and saidsecond corner angles are selected so that said male and female elementsare urged into partially closed contact with one another in saidunfastened condition ofsaid loop.

10. A handle to be fastened to a container to assist in manipulatingsaid container, which comprises a five sided unitary loop ofthermoplastic material in which each of said five sides has an invertedT- shaped cross-section, and in which said loop is provided with twoextremities which are in nonlocking contact with one another in theunfastened condition of said loop and which are joined together inlocking contact with one another through a pre-punched hole in saidcontainer in the fastened condition of said a first substantiallyhorizontal side adapted to accommodate the human hand,

second and third sides each respectively joined at one of theirextremities at first selected corner angles that are almost but lessthan a right angle to a corresponding one of the extremities of saidfirst side, and

fourth and fifth sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat second selected corner angles to the other corresponding extremitiesof said second and third sides, the other extremities of said fourth andfifth sides terminating in first and second opposing tabs respectivelybearing selected elements of a predetermined closure mechanism forjoining together said opposing tabs through said pre-punched hole insaid container to form a closed loop handle in said fastened conditionof said loop, wherein both the lengths of said fourth and fifth sidesand said second corner angles are selected so that said ele-v ments ofsaid closure mechanism are urged into contact with one another in saidunfastened conditron of said loop.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim wherein said selected elements of saidpredetermined closure mechanlsrn comprise a first cylinder shapedopening of selected diameter extending through said first tab, and

a second cylinder shaped opening of the same diameter as said firstcylinder shaped opening extending through said second tab,

wherein said first and second cylinder shaped openings have a commoncentral axis.

12. A handle to assist in manipulating a container,

which comprises a five sided unitary loop of thermoplastic material inwhich each of said five sides has an inverted T- shaped cross-section,and in which said loop is provided with two extremities,

a first substantially horizontal side adapted to accommodate the humanhand,

second and third sides each respectively joined at one of theirextremities at first selected corner angles that are almost but lessthan a right angle to a corresponding one of the extremities of saidfirst side, and

fourth and fifth sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat second selected corner angles to the other corresponding extremitiesof said second and third sides, the other extremity of said fourth sideterminating in a first tab having an inner surface and an outer surface,said inner surface bearing a male element of a selected closuremechanism, the other extremity of said fifth side terminating in asecond tab having an inner surface and an outer surface, said innersurface of said second tab opposing said inner surface of said first taband bearing a female element of said closure mechanism,

said male element comprising a cylinder shaped support element joined atone end to the inner surface of said first tab and having a firstselected diameter,

a cylinder shaped extension element joined at one end to the other endof said support element and having a second selected diameter smallerthan said first selected diameter,

a cylinder shaped =base element joined at one end to the other end ofsaid extension element and having a third selected diameterapproximately equal to said first selected diameter of said supportelement, and

a cone shaped stud element with a rounded apex and joined at its base tothe other end of said extension element and extending at its apex towardthe inner surface of said second tab, said base of said stud elementhaving a diameter equal to the diameter of said base element, and saidsupport element, said extension element, said base element, and saidstud element having a common central axis,

said female element comprising a cylindrical opening opposite said apexof said stud element and extending through said tab from said innersurface to said outer surface, said cylindrical opening having anannular recess extending from said outer surface of said tab partiallyinto said circular opening, wherein the diameter of said cylindricalopening is selected to be approximately equal to the diameter of saidextension element, and the diameter of said annular recess is selectedto be approximately equal to the diameter of said base element,

wherein the lengths of said fourth and fifth sides and said secondcorner angles are selected so that the apex of said stud element isurged to extend partially into said cylindrical opening of said femaleelement, and

wherein said male and female elements of said closure mechanism arejoined together to form a closed loop handle by two mechanicalinterlocks,

a first mechanical interlock formed by inserting said stud element andsaid base element through said cylindrical opening so that said baseelement is seated against said annular recess, and

a second mechanical interlock obtained by controllably deforming saidstud element after it has been inserted through said cylindrical openingto form a locking cap whose base is seated against the outer surface ofsaid second tab.

13. A handle to be fastened to a container to assist in manipulatingsaid container, which comprises fastened condition of said loop, saidsides including a first substantially horizontal side adapted toaccommodate the human hand,

second and third sides each respectively joined at one of theirextremities at first selected corner angles that are almost but lessthan a right angle to a corresponding one of the extremities of saidfirst side, and

fourth and fifth sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat second selected corner angles to the other corresponding extremitiesof said second and third sides, the other extremities of said fourth andfifth sides terminating in first and second opposing tabs respectivelybearing selected elements of a predetermined closure mechanism forjoining together said opposing tabs through a pre-punched hole in saidcontainer to form a closed loop handle fastened to said container,wherein both the lengths of said fourth and fifth sides and said secondcorner angles are selected so that said elements of said closuremechanism are urged into contact with one another in the unfastenedcondition of said handle, said selected elements of said predeterminedclosure mechanism including a male member integral with said first taband provided with a cylinder shaped support element joined at one end tosaid first tab and having a first selected diameter,

a cylinder shaped extension element joined at one end to the other endof said support element and having a second selected diameter smallerthan said first selected diameter, and

a cone shaped stud element having a rounded apex and joined at its baseto the other end of said extension element and extending at its apextoward said second tab, the diameter of said base of said stud elementbeing approximately equal to said diameter of said support element, saidsupport element, said extension element, and said stud element having acommon central axis, and

a female member integral with said second tab includa cylindricalopening opposite said apex of said stud element and extending throughsaid tab, said cylindrical opening having an annular recess extendingpartially into said circular opening away from the apex of said studelement, wherein the diameter of said cylindrical opening is selected tobe approximately equal to the diameter of said extension element, andthe diameter of said annular recess is selected to be approximatelyequal to the diameter of the base of said cone shaped stud element,

wherein the elements of said closure mechanism which are urged intocontact with one another comprise the apex of said stud element which isurged to extend partially into said cylindrical opening.

14. A handle to be fastened to a container to assist in manipulatingsaid container, which comprises a five sided unitary loop ofthermoplastic material in which each of said five sides has an invertedT-shaped cross-section, and in which said loop is provided with twoextremities which are in nonlocking but partially closed contact Withone another in the unfastened condition of said loop and which arejoined together in locking contact with one another through apre-punched hole in said container in the fastened condition of saidloop, said sides including a first substantially horizontal side adaptedto accommodate the human hand,

second and third sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat first selected corner angles that are almost but less than a rightangle to a corresponding one of their extremities of said first side,and

fourth and fifth sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat second selected corner angles to the other extremities of said fourthand fifth sides terminating in first and second opposing tabsrespectively bearing selected elements of a predetermined closuremechanism for joining together said opposing tabs through a pre-punchedhole in said container to form a closed loop handle fastened to saidcontainer wherein both the lengths of said fourth and fifth sides andsaid second corner angles are selected so that said elements of saidclosure mechanism are urged into contact with one another in theunfastened condition of said handle, said selected elements of saidpredetermined closure mechanism including a male member integral withsaid first tab and provided with a cylinder shaped element joined at oneend to said first tab and having a selected diameter, and

a cone shaped element having a rounded apex and joined at its base tothe other end of said cylinder shaped element and extending at its apextoward said second tab, said cylinder shaped element and said coneshaped element having a common central axis, and

a female member integral with said second tab includa cylinder shapedopening of selected diameter extending through said second tab andhaving its central axis aligned with the common central axis of saidcone shaped element and said cylinder shaped element,

wherein said diameter of said cylinder shaped opening is selected to beapproximately equal to said diameter of said cylinder shaped element ofsaid male member, and

wherein the elements of said closure mechanism which are urged intocontact with one another comprise the apex of said cone shaped elementwhich is urged to extend into said cylinder shaped opening.

15. A handle to be fastened to a container to assist in manipulatingsaid container, which comprises a five sided unitary loop ofthermoplastic material in which each of said five sides has an invertedT-shaped cross-section, and in which said loop is provided with twoextremities which are innonlocking contact with one another in theunfastened condition of said loop and which are joined together inlocking contact with one another through a pre-punched hole in saidcontainer in the fastened condition of said loop, said sides including afirst substantially horizontal side adapted to accommodate the humanband,

second and third sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat first selected corner angles that are almost but less than a rightangle to a corresponding one of the extremities of said first side, and

fourth and fifth sides respectively joined at one of their extremitiesat second selected corner angles to the other corresponding extremitiesof said second and third sides, the other extremities of said fourth andfifth sides terminating in first and second opposing tabs, wherein boththe lengths of said fourth and fifth sides and said second corner anglesare selected so that said elements of said closure mechanism are urgedinto contact with one another in the unfastened condition of saidhandle,

a first cylinder shaped opening of selected diameter extending throughsaid first tab, and

a second cylinder shaped opening of the same diameter as said firstcylinder shaped opening extending through said second tab,

wherein said first and second cylinder shaped openings have a commoncentral axis, and

means for joining together said first and second opposing tabs through apre-punched hole in said container to form a closed loop handle,including a male member comprising a rivet provided with 13 14 acylinder shaped support portion having a diameter ings which have beenpre-positioned on either side approximately equal to the diameter ofsaid first and of said pre-punched hole in said container. secondopenings, and a hemisphere shaped portion having two outer surfaces, eere ces Cited a curved surface and a plane surface, the central 5 UNITEDSTATES PATENTS portion of the plane surface of said hemisphere shapedportion being joined to one end of said sup- 81 10/1949 Fox 220-94) portPortion 3,361,333 1/1968 Stuart 22952 3,373,924 3/1968 Linds et al.22952 wherein said opposing tabs are oined together through 3,384,2925/1968 Hidding 22952 said pre-punched hole in said container to formsaid 10 closed loop handle fastened to said container by con- DAVIS TMOORHE AD P E trollably deforming the other end of said support n myXaml er portion after said support portion has been inserted U S CL Xthrough said first and second cylinder shaped open- 294--27 1% UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, ,5 Dat dDecember 2, 1969 Inventor(s) L. D. Leiter et 8 1.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. L, line 12, "this" should be its line 49, "diameter" should bediameters Col. 5, line 61, "along" should be alone '71.

C01. 6, line 70, "indcating" should be indicating Col. 8, lines 73-75,should read shaped cross-section, and in which said loop is providedwith two extremities which are in nonlocking but partially closedoontaci with one another in the Col. 12, line 50, "band" should be handCol. 1 line 8, Linds et a1." should be Linda et al.

SKSNED AN SEALED JUN 9 1970 J Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Ir WILLIAM E. 'SCIHUYLER, JR-

Commissioner of Patents Attestmg Officer

